Surgical Outcomes Among Primary Aldosteronism Patients Without Visible Adrenal Lesions

Many patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism (PA) have normal adrenal imaging, but little is known about their outcome following adrenalectomy.

To evaluate biochemical and clinical outcomes after adrenalectomy in patients with unilateral PA and normal-appearing adrenal imaging.

Retrospective cohort study of patients seen between January 2006 and May 2018.

A Canadian tertiary care PA referral center.

Consecutive individuals with PA, normal cross-sectional adrenal imaging, and lateralizing adrenal vein sampling (AVS) who underwent adrenalectomy during the study period.

Biochemical response to adrenalectomy graded according to the Primary Aldosteronism Surgical Outcome criteria.

A total of 40 patients were included. Biochemical outcomes were available for 33 people (mean age, 54.7 years; 91% male; median follow-up, 2.7 months), with 28 (85%) showing a complete or partial response and 5 (15%) with no response. Clinical outcomes were available for 36 people (mean age, 54.6 years; 86% male; median follow-up, 9.8 months), with 31 (86%) demonstrating a complete or partial response and 5 (14%) with no response.

The prognosis after adrenalectomy is highly favorable for patients with unilateral PA and normal-appearing adrenal imaging. Patients with lateralizing disease should be considered for surgery despite apparently normal adrenal imaging.